Election salvos
The PPP’s latest volley of election rhetoric is mostly a rehash of tried and tested tactics from across the world. What is different, however, is that while parties usually choose to either downplay expectations to make underperformance at the polls look better, or go chest-thumping to invigorate their bases and scare rivals, the PPP has used an innovative approach by using both strategies at the same time. On the one hand, Asif Zardari has been touting the PPP and his son, party chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari will be “victorious” in the February 8 polls. Although he has hedged his bets by remaining vague on his definition of ‘victory’, it is generally understood to be at national level, since the PPP remain the heavy favourites to win a majority in Sindh.
At the same time, Bilawal has been going out of his way to claim the entire system is conspiring against his party, accusing the PML-N of being the establishment’s choice, claiming its former PDM ally is working hand in glove with the caretaker government, and the Election Commission of Pakistan to influence events at the ballot box. Bilawal has also ‘predicted’ that the next prime minister “will not be from Lahore” — the hometown of the Sharifs and, technically, Imran Khan. This is almost certainly a reference to himself being the next PM, unless Bilawal’s expectations of the IPP are far higher than anyone else. There is also talk of the PPP allying with the PTI, at least in Punjab, to keep the PML-N down in their former stronghold. While such an alliance had long been rumoured, PPP leaders are now regularly calling for amnesty for PTI workers involved in violent May 9 incident, a clear attempt to embrace and welcome PTI leaders and workers.
It remains to be seen whether or not Bilawal can turn the PPP into a real national party again, rather than the regional party it has shrunk into over the past decade. But before all that, we would like to see the ECP address the PPP’s gripes, because the integrity of the elections depends not on rhetoric from any side, but on a level-playing field.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 8th, 2023.
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